Читать книгу Stacking the Deck - Pottruck David S. - Страница 13

A fundamental truth lies at the core of introducing any large-scale change: leading change requires leading people. Any transformation you propose, small or large, will ultimately not succeed if you don't have the leadership skills to drive the process forward. Success never comes from one person's efforts; transformative change is a team sport. There is, therefore, an absolute requirement for exceptional leadership skills, a proven process, and a team capable of getting the job done. As a consequence, leadership and communication are constant threads throughout the Stacking the Deck process and throughout this book. In fact, I encourage you to be sure you have truly absorbed the information and guidance provided in the chapter on leadership communication (Chapter 11) before you begin to implement the steps. The time you spend on the foundational steps of preparing, planning, and communicating will definitely reap benefits.

Today's business world will always demand that you do it faster, spend less money, and still get exceptional results. The ongoing pressure to take shortcuts is likely to intensify in years to come. Sometimes you may have no choice but to compress the effort and consider skipping something – in fact, some changes do not require every step in the process. However, it's relatively easy to decide to cut corners when you're thinking abstractly; it's more difficult when you can actually see which elements you are cutting out and what they specifically contribute to ensuring success. Since the Stacking the Deck process concretely shows you all the steps of a change initiative from inception to completion, you can make needed cuts with an understanding of exactly what you are removing – and what the consequences will likely be. Each of the nine steps will guide you along the way to breakthrough change.

But make no mistake: leading breakthrough change is definitely not for the faint of heart. In fact, I found it rather heartening that time and again, the people I interviewed – leaders across all fields in businesses around the world – reinforced just how much more difficult leading breakthrough change is than anyone anticipates.

More than money, time, or resources, it's your ability to lead people, your tenacity, and your grit that will determine your ultimate success or failure. Before communicating about the change, be sure you fully understand what the change represents to all of the groups who will be involved. If you remain open to possibilities, eager for constant challenges, and lucky enough to find mentors, your path will be easier. Most important, understand that inspirational leadership communication is critical to each step along the way, every single day.